Renée Zellweger on Dressing Up and the Scrutiny of the Red Carpet

The actress sits front row at Miu Miu and answers all our questions.

Miu Miu has a knack for christening It girls riiiight before they become It. Miuccia Prada's younger-leaning label tends to favor starlets whose names and faces you may not be familiar with just yet. Case in point, today's front row (including Odeya Rush, Sophie Cookson, Jane Levy, Brie Larson, Mia Goth, Esther Garrel, Anaïs Demoustier, Maya Sansa, and Imogen Poots) had many show goers whispering, "Who is SHE?" And then there was one pretty star in a chic red coat that had everyone whispering, "Is that HER?" And yes, it was.

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Renée Zellweger was front row at Miu Miu's fall 2015 show today in Paris. It marked the Oscar winning actress's first appearance since her controversy-stirring red carpet moment at ELLE's own Women in Hollywood event back in October 2014, when for around two days, the entire Internet wondered "Was something different about Renée's face?" Zellweger was even compelled to post a reply to the frenzied reaction, writing, "I'm glad folks think I look different! I'm living a different, happy, more fulfilling life, and I'm thrilled that perhaps it shows...Perhaps I look different. Who doesn't as they get older?! Ha. But I am different. I'm happy." And she certainly seemed happy—and completely unfazed by all the whispering—at today's show. We know because we asked her.

Tell us about your outfit—that coat is amazing!

I love this. It's classic and playful and fun.

And you're just in town for Miu Miu?

Yes, this is my only show.

What do you love about the shows? Is it all fun or does anything make you nervous about coming and doing this whole racket?

Oh, nothing, nothing makes me nervous. It's just a fun reunion with friends and it's always so much fun to see what [Miuccia Prada] pulls together.

There's this red carpet revolt brewing—actresses are pushing back against answering the requisite "Who are you wearing" type questions, they're refusing to do the mani cam...what do you think of it? Is there progress being made?

I mean, just that there's a conversation about it means that there's progress. I've always wondered about that. I wondered why it became about breaking down what a lady chooses to wear when she's celebrating the really fun experience of her life and her achievement that she's sharing with her friends and her family and maybe her children who are saying 'You look beautiful mommy!' when she goes out the door, only to have her scrutinized and torn apart one piece at a time. And then it seems like the work and the significance of the contribution fades into the background. But I understand it. I understand that a big part of the fun is getting to see the fashion and I enjoy it myself. It's a lot of fun. What other opportunity do you have to wear such beautiful things? Where else are you going to go in those gowns?

Maybe to wander around your bedroom?

[Laughs] Yeah, exactly!

So I heard you mention that you have five movies coming up. There's been a lot of discussion lately around the need for more complicated roles for women, and the need for more women behind the camera. Do you think roles for women are getting more interesting?

I don't know. I just don't know.

Because you've played some pretty great complicated women...

Yeah, I've been really blessed in that respect. I'm sure there's always been a disparity. The statistics show it; it's inarguable. But I think as more women are feeling empowered to take those chances, and people are giving them the opportunities by showing them that their product has an audience, I think it will improve as we go forward. I think we'll be seeing more and more women expressing themselves in the medium of film and behind the camera. I look forward to that, because we want something to be in the cinema that we can relate to, that moves us, that we are inspired by.

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